nigelforbes

It's the other way round, the economy drives the strength of the currency. As you said, the UK economy has not grown at the same speed or to the same height as the US economy hence the fall in GBP value.

Thanks you for the kind offer, I may well do that but I'm currently down with covid, apart from not feeling brilliant I'm not allowed outside by SWWBO. In the meantime, 54 square meeting, about a 20% gradient, mating level at the top end with an equal area of sandwash covered concrete and at the bottom end, the rail for the electronic gate.....

A solvent cleaner and a power wash maybe?

I was in Bangkok this week and walking around various soi's to get to the MRT. For whatever reason I kept stumbling across one block high retaining walls similar to what you described. I cam across three, all one block high, designed to hold back soil for plants........open side up! I'll post pictures when I feel better after contracting covid.

The concrete was laid some months ago but the powder color was poorly applied and didn't hold in many places. Because the height/depth of the concrete is already fixed, it isn't possible to apply sand wash which requires one quarter/three eighths of an inch on top of the concrete.

Here you go, this was the easiest and simplest explanation I could find: "An economy experiencing growth results in a currency appreciating, and the exchange rate adjusts accordingly. The country with the weakening economy may experience currency depreciation, which also has an effect on the exchange rate". In the case of the Pound: GBP has been in long term decline since the collapse of the Bretton Woods agreement and parity with USD is a real possibility if it is to achieve fair value.

Yes indeed, epoxy paints do seem to fit the bill here. I've been talking to a Japanese company in Bangkok who specialise in this, SK Kaken seems pretty switched on and clued up and are easy to talk to. The big name stores that were mentioned don't seem to have much and their staff know less than I do. My next task is to find someone to sand/grind the concrete surface which cause it's on a slight incline seems to be an issue for some.

No. UK legal status is determined by UK factors, nothing to do with visa in another country. Even a long term expat on a non imm. O visa for 20 years, me, is still not a Thai resident. UK residency for nhs purposes is six months, for tax residency it's 183 days but this is subject to ties rules. But, even if you return after being away for 20 years, you can become resident again on the first day for everything, if you wish.

Keep reading subsequent posts and the coin will finally drop.

Have you ever driven in Thailand and dealt with traffic police, have you ever visited Thailand!

Aren't those two statements contradict each other, brokers not being allowed etc vs AA 's information spread sheet? Now I'm confused (which is easily done)

I agree in respect of crypto., The rest of it we can debate when I get back from my beach hols.

A currency often declines in value because the current account has gone into deficit, case on point, Thailand Thatusually happens because of the balance of trade, eg lower exports than imports, something that is indicative of a slowing economy.

The people of the wiemar republic in Germany during the 1920s needed a million marks to buy a loaf of bread, they earned lots of money but were very poor. The fact is that the value and volume of cash work hand in hand to create monetary value.

It was but then prices surged to over 100 per barrel, Google oil price history to see.

Walk into any private hospital and see an Ophthalmologist, no appointment needed, an eye exam and prescription should be between 1,000 and 2,000, based on which hospital and where about in the country you are. As for the cost of lenses etc., shop around and bargain, everyone does, even Thai's.

In fact, using the example you cited, the decline of GBP against USD would indeed make UK citizens worse off. Why? USD is the international settlement currency for imports and exports globally. A drop in value of GBP would make imports more expensive and this would be passed on to the consumer. Plus the US is the UK's third largest source of imports hence the cost of those goods would also increase. Finally, oil is priced in USD, as the value of Sterling falls, the price of oil and refined petroleum products increases and this increase is once again passed on to the consumer.

Completely untrue. At a minimum, northern Thailand is home to several Japanese optical engineering companies such as Hoya and European companies such as Essilor. Both companies (and others) manufacture optical lenses for sale within Thailand and overseas. Thailand is the world’s largest manufacturer of optical lenses with 22% of global market share. • Over 800 to 900 million optical lenses produced annually. • Number of Optical Shops in Thailand is 15,000 stores including chain stores and individual optical stores. • The number of opticians in Thailand is 1,530 and most opticians work as business owners and work on eye testing, frame sales frame and lens, including contact lens, and frame repairs. https://www.ioassn.org/news/did-you-know-thailand-optics-market/#:~:text=Over 800 to 900 million optical lenses produced annually.&text=Number of Optical Shops in,stores and individual optical stores.

Which is why I suggested he back fill them or put on a topping layer.

When I bought my house twenty years ago my wife and I were not married at the time, because we weren't, that meant I could take out an usufruct which allowed me to live in the house until I die. (married people can't do that) Subsequently we got married and the usufruct remains in place. My mindset when I bought the house was that I may never again see the money I invested in the property but I didn't care. In a very worst case scenario I have the legal right to live in the house forever and to say who else can live here, that's really all I need. If something should happen to my wife god forbid, we've agreed that her niece will become the owner and my usufruct will remain.

If the Amphur/Land Office doesn't specifically inquire on this point and many don't care, ours doesn't, the money used to buy the house is considered to be joint funds, unless one person wants to make a case that they aren't. If they are, divorce requires that assets acquired during marriage are split 50/50 and this is the practice. I do know of one case where a farang married to a Thai successfully argued the case that the funds used to buy the house were his and he proved that they came into Thailand from overseas. The judge in that case awarded him the house which he had to sell within a certain time frame. But trying to come up with a blanket rule that applies the same way everywhere in the country is fraught with difficulty. This is Thailand and rules vary from province to province, amphur to amphur, district to district and even court to court.

All the fines were increased massively in September, they are now in the thousands each: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/transport/traffic-fines-see-a-hefty-price-spike-on-monday

Not in the case of husband and wife because the funds used to buy the house are considered joint funds and this has been borne out in divorce courts. And whilst the scenario you set out is true in some Amphurs (not all), signing a paper stating the foreigner has no claim to the house is meaningless since the laws of usufruct and superficies circumvent this. True, a foreigner who gives an unrelated female funds to buy a house, has no claim to the property, why would they. As for shareholders, it is illegal in Thailand to establish a company for the sole intention of owning a single dwelling.

You can use that as a starting point, by all means.

You tell em that, you say, 'ere PC Somchai, the UN Traffic Act of 1949 ...blah blah blah, I'm certain he'll be really keen to understand the detail.